Since the first couple episodes of the first Yoshiyuki Tomino-directed Gundam show in quite some time are out, it's time for some first impressions!

The show itself takes place in the Universal Century timeline, but in the next age after the UC calender. Despite this, the design styling is very different from UC styling and I actually find it rather annoying. They're also using the popular Gundam SEED pattern of equipping situational backpacks on the lead mobile suit, which will no doubt only be available in separate model kits.

This whole thing reminds me more of Tomino's Overman King Gainer than anything else. Tomino has a reputation for being really bipolar, either making terribly bleak stories where everyone dies or upbeat happy stories. Reconguista in G is looking very much like a happy Tomino story, so everyone who wanted another Zeta Gundam will be disappointed.

The pacing so far is a little weird but it's not nearly so bad as the first half of ZZ Gundam. It feels like they're rushing through character introductions in order to move into the main plot as quickly as they can, but the way they're doing it means I really don't care about any of the main cast yet. We'll see if it gets better or if Tomino has no idea what he's doing after not making anything for a decade.

Ah, the third episode actually explains why the tech level seems so low despite being post-Universal Century: they stopped using nuclear reactors in everything. Probably a good decision considering how beat-up the Earth was from exploding mobile suits by the time of V Gundam. But the best technology improvement is the new inclusion of toilets under the pilot seats. It makes so much sense.

Still feels like I'm watching a ten- or twenty-year-old show despite it being brand new. It's definitely a happy-Tomino adventure story rather than a crazy-Tomino drama.